“Right now,” I said, bending at the waist, arms pinned just after the shoulders by the elastic band of my sports bra. “Right now is when a live-in boyfriend would come in very handy.
I hung that way for a full minute before I could muster up the strength to rip the bra off and toss it to the floor. My shoulder muscles twitched and I think I actually heard my triceps scream, “Mother of god, why must you do this to us?”
It’s day three of my five day re-introduction to power yoga and there is not a single muscle in my body that isn’t feeling it. Strangely enough, the hour I’m twisting and bending and sweating (the room is kept at a balmy 87 degrees, I think) is the very best part of my day. The worst? Waking up and realizing I can’t exactly lift my arms off the mattress. But I assume that’s a temporary ailment.
This morning, after a couple weeks of watching what I eat, hitting the jogging trails and now, adding power yoga to my day, I decided to brave the bathroom scale. I wiggled out of my nightie, tapped the scale to on and climbed up.
“I’ve actually gained weight!” I whined to Ari.
“Oh, no!”
“Yes. And I’m suing god. For intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
“Class action? I have a few complaints of my own.”
“Why not? It’ll be something to do.”
While I’m fond of Scott Number Two’s suggestion that the added poundage is new muscle, I raised my eye brows in challenge.
“In three days?”
“You never know.”
Mmm hmm. It’s a yoga miracle, Charlie Brown.
I’m following the “Reece’s Pieces and Yoga” diet. It seems to be working. What you do is: take an hour of vinyasa yoga, then come home and eat a bag of Reece’s Pieces to counteract all that healthy stuff. As the yogi’s say, it’s all about balance. And who am I to contradict them?
I love that we may have been simultaneously posting. Also I love and miss you. Terribly.
seriously just drink your weight in water. that will help with the sore muscles and with the losing weight fast. we had a new teacher the other day at the studio i go to, and my arms fell like jello now. hehe!
hahaha been there, done that. If it´s any consolation, the experts say sometimes the body retains fluids in the first few days of working out. And I choose to believe that when it happens to me, call me the eternal optimist… that the poundage keeps adding on is a mystery yet unsolved!
I can sympathize. I remember the first time I did pilates (although not really yoga but very similar) the next morning, I felt like I had given birth to twins. It even hurt to smile. But then again, it was a good hurt =) Enjoy it before it wears off!
Screw the gain! At least you’re getting active again…more than I can say for most of us. Soon you’ll be running a marathon, just wait
I don’t like to post…I’m shy in the strangest ways.But I just went through the same thing.So I picked the scale up,dusted it off,and threw it in the trash!Give it a few more weeks.Your body will adjust and the weight will come right off.Promise.Your writing is exceptional.Thanks as always for sharing.
I feel you on the gain weight issue. I have been CONSISTENTLY working out for 4 week and I weigh 2 pounds more. I am lifting and doing cardio at least 3x per week and I’m a tennis pro at a club. What the hell!!!
I agree with Scott Number Two. I’d much rather be happy with toned muscles with some extra weight, as opposed to the lighter blubber that I usually sport after Thanksgiving and winter. It is possible to do that in three days (assuming the gain doesn’t exceed at most 2 percent of your original weight), but be sure to eat lots of protein to help repair the muscles after your workouts (best within 30 minutes immediately after your workout), and don’t over-exercise. An injured fish is not a happy fish. =)
I worked out with a trainer for three months and didn’t lose any weight. Add me to the lawsuit.
go to http://www.sparkpeople.com for a place to log nutrition and fitness. great articles and resources and it is free. I have lost 12 pounds so far (in 8 weeks) so it has been tough but the tracking option on the site has really helped me keep on track.
I did the same thing the last time I started working out. I don’t know why, but I always start out by gaining a few pounds, but then it gradually starts to come off after a few more days. It’s depressing at first, but then I get to tell myself that I’ve lost 6 pounds, not 3, since I can count from my ‘heaviest’ day, not the day I started working out. Good luck!
I’m banned from yoga because of flatulence
Its not about the number on the scale. Its about how toned you are. And power yoga and jogging are sure to tone you up! I don’t power yoga (not that brave) but I do runners yoga to keep my legs loose and somedays my legs hurt even while I’m laying in bed.
I have a nice little self-deception tactic to handle this exact scenario. I purposely start my diet/weigh in on the first day of my period, then I’m practically guaranteed to drop at least 2 lbs the next time I hop on the scale. Whatever works, right?
Good for you for getting back on the exercise wagon. I will be joining you on that by taking my first hot yoga class this weekend. I can practically feel the pain already… by all means, let me know on that class action suit. I’m in!
Fish:
Quit weighing yourself and “measure” yourself instead. Give it a couple of weeks and you will definately feel a difference and in 4 to 6 weeks you will SEE a difference.
I have been working out for four months now. I’ve lost 12lbs. and feel really good. I only weigh 110lbs which is great and I don’t want to lose any more, but I really really am trying to get my stomach into shape. I’ve had a baby and this is by far the hardest thing to do.
Try to keep yourself motivated. It will happen. That’s what I keep telling myself.
Good luck.
Muscle weighs more than fat so don’t panic…good for you…keep going!
it’s most certainly muscle gain…and you need to wait a few weeks after changing things up to see tha beginnings of actual serious change.
keep at it!
Get a colonic. Not because it will help but because it would amuse me.
Measuring yourself is for fat people.
i hate when that happens. maybe the scale is wrong?
Being toned is so much better than weighing less. You’ll be able to fit in smaller sizes regardless. Why not be buff? Women are way too obsessed with weight. If you really want to sweat to death, try Bikram Yoga — it gets up to 110 degrees, I’m pretty sure or so say the thermostats when I’m dying. But 87 degrees will make you sweat. No two ways about that.
i agree. it’s got less to do with the number you weigh and more to do with how you feel in your clothes. If your shirt buttons are popping, you’ve got a problem. If not, don’t sweat it (no pun intended)
I keep losing inches, but my weight hasn’t budged in months
It IS muscle! Listen to me now and believe me later….I wanted to huck my scale through a window the first week I gained three pounds from hiking every day. It’ll settle down in a few weeks, keep doin’ what you’re doing.
So how exactly does a fish do yoga? seeing my friend’s fish in the aquarium, it doesn’t look that limber. At least you can take pride in the fact that you are better then the rest of your cousins
Love the site! You are a great writer.
Yes! Bikram! It’s hell the first time and addicting thereafter. But I feel your pain. Try gaining 10 lbs of muscle weight. (But then again, my ass dosen’t jiggle anymore)
Maybe the weight you gained was muscle given your new workout regimen. Could be a good thing, ya know?
Add me to the lawsuit too!
I gave up carbs for lent. Started doing cardio 4 days a week and lifting at least one. What was the result of my 40 days of good behavior? I had gained 3 pounds! Clearly I’m still bitter.
honey….THROW OUT THE SCALE!!!! it’s really pointless to judge anything by your weight. i weighed more as a size 6 than i did at a size 9. if my pants fit and i look good in them, that’s all i care about.
you know, you get to subtract the weight of the karaoke mic you’re still clutching in your hand…
Definitely bring the IIED suit.